After Attu finally fell, General Buckner and Admiral Kinkaid were eager to make plans for the invasion of Japan from the Aleutians, perhaps as early as the fall of 1943. The Joint Chiefs of Staff balanced the global picture and were more cautious. They set a tentative date of early 1945 for an invasion of Japan’s northern islands and told the Alaskan commanders that their first priority remained the capture of Kiska. Given the experience on Attu, everyone knew that the task was not to be taken lightly.
